by Carrie Carr
"I know." Amanda shook her head. "No, wait. Can we keep this between the two of us, for now? I want to tell Lex before anyone else knows."
"Of course. That's how it should be." They both stood and embraced again. "I would love to be a fly on the wall when you tell her, though." Anna Leigh kept her arm around Amanda's waist. "Now, the fun part will be trying to keep this a secret. Your joy is written all over your face."
"I feel incredible. I want to dance around the room and yell." A loud clap of thunder caused them both to jump. "Thank goodness we got home from the store when we did. I'd hate to be out in that mess."
Anna Leigh released her and walked over to peer out the window. "It appears you may be stranded here for a while. I can't even see the cars through all the rain."
Joining her at the window, Amanda looked outside as well. "I hope Lex has the sense to stay inside." She closed the curtains and went to the bed and sat. "I think I'll call her and let her know we'll be here until the weather clears."
"Good idea." Anna Leigh looked at her watch. "It's getting late. I know you want to run home and tell her your good news, but maybe it would be wise to stay the night and get a fresh start in the morning."
Nodding, Amanda dialed the phone. She returned her grandmother's wave as Anna Leigh left the room. While she patiently waited for Lex to answer the phone, Amanda rubbed her stomach. She couldn't believe that a tiny life had begun. It was almost overwhelming. When the answering machine at the ranch picked up, she sighed. "Lex, it's me." She bit her lip to keep from blurting out her news. "Um, since it's raining so hard, Gramma asked me to spend the night. So Lorrie and I will be home in the morning, okay? I love you."
She hung up the phone. "I hope you're not out playing in the rain, again." She looked down at her belly. "Your momma is determined to make me old and gray before my time, little one."
THE POUNDING OF the rainwater and the thrashing of the horse shook Lex awake. She didn't know how long she had been out, since the heavy clouds effectively covered the sky and made telling time impossible. She blinked several times and took stock of her situation. Both she and the horse were covered with mud and they were a good six feet from the top of the ground. She had ended up wedged against the wall of the hole, while Mine's hooves sunk into the quagmire on the bottom.
The sinkhole had sucked them down without warning and didn't appear to be releasing them any time soon. Mine was on her side, trapping both of Lex's legs beneath her. Lex's right shoulder was stuck deep into the thick mass of sodden earth. The more the frightened horse struggled, the deeper Lex was buried. "Easy, girl." Lex tried to pull herself free, but a sharp pain from the right side of her body caused her to stop. With her free hand, she rubbed Mine's flank. "It's going to be okay. Ssssh."
Tiring, the horse settled and dropped her head. Ever so often she would attempt to get some traction with her feet, which only trapped her further. Eventually, the soothing voice finally calmed her and her breathing settled.
Lex closed her eyes when the horse stilled. She continued to stroke the creature's side; whether for its benefit or her own, she wasn't sure. The rain tapered off and gave way to the coolness of the evening.
Some time later, Lex opened her eyes again. The night breeze chilled her bare face, but she was thankful that Mine's body heat protected her from the worst of it. Somewhat more alert, Lex tried to figure out how she fared, physically. The pounding headache reminded her that she had hit her head as she fell. She was buried in the mud, and the pain from the right side of her body was excruciating. Whether from the weight of the horse or from injury, she was numb from her hips to her feet. That part worried her more than anything. She wanted to call for help, but her cell phone was attached to her belt, above her right hip which was crammed deeply in the mud. Lex didn't even know if it was still working. "Well, Mine," she rasped, "we're screwed."
ANOTHER SUITCASE HIT the bed. Janine took a handful of clothes and stuffed them inside, not worrying about wrinkling them. She had heard enough excuses from her husband and was more determined than ever to end things with him.
Hubert stood nearby. He hadn't stopped whining since they arrived home and she delivered her ultimatum. "Come on, Janine. This was all a big misunderstanding. There's no reason to act like this." He ducked as his alarm clock sailed through the air, barely missing his head. "Dammit, woman. Stop this bullshit right now."
"Excuse me?" She paused in her frenetic packing and placed her hands on her hips. "Did you yell at me?"
He stomped over to where she stood and grabbed her arm. "You're fucking right, I did. You're my damned wife. Now act like it."
Janine's face reddened and her voice dropped. "Let go of me."
"Not until you come to your senses." He shook her arm for good measure. "You need to learn who the boss is around here."
Without warning, Janine slammed her free hand into his nose. It caused an audible crack and blood began to pour from Hubert's face. "I believe I settled that."
Hubert released her and screamed. "You broke my fucking nose!" He quickly brought both hands to his face.
"That's not all I'll do to you if you ever grab me again." Janine turned and resumed her packing. She was hard-pressed not to laugh at the way her husband was dancing around the room, cursing.
"I'll kick your ass, bitch." He blindly reached for her, but howled again as the heel of Janine's foot met his shin. "Dammit!"
She looked around the room to see if she had missed anything. "If this wasn't such a dump, you'd be the one leaving. But I think you deserve to stay in this rat hole." Gathering up the two suitcases, Janine carried them to the door. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer, Hubert. Be prepared to pay," she paused and grinned at his bloody countenance, "through the nose." With a final flip of her hair, she left the room.
He limped to the front door and watched as she drove off. "Hey, wait. That's my damned car!" Wiping his bloody hands on the front of his shirt, Hubert turned and went into his house, grumbling under his breath. "She fucking took my car. That bitch is going to be sorry she ever met me."
JACOB CARRIED LORRIE upstairs. She had fallen asleep in the middle of the living room floor with plastic animals still held in her hands. She snuggled closer to him and clutched his shirt. Already wrapped around her finger, Jacob felt his heart melt even more. He placed Lorrie into the crib and changed her into her pajamas. After kissing her on the forehead, he turned to see Amanda standing in the door. "You could have stayed downstairs. She wasn't a problem."
"I knew you could handle her. Dad and Lois left, so Gramma and I decided we might as well come upstairs and go to bed, too." She walked over and peered into the crib. "She's so peaceful when she's sleeping."
"That, she is." He put his arm around Amanda. "You look like you're feeling better."
Amanda leaned against him. "I am, thanks. Guess that nap today did the trick."
"Uh-huh." Jacob tried to keep a serious look on his face. "Well, you should try and get as much rest as you can, while you have a chance. Babies can take a lot out of you."
"True." Amanda gasped when she realized what he had said. "What do you mean?"
Jacob squeezed her close. "Kiddo, I'm not completely clueless." He used his spare hand to gently pat her tummy. "I pretty much figured it out, even before you and your grandmother took off today."
She closed her eyes and released a heavy breath. "Damn." Opening her eyes, she looked up at him. "Does anyone else know?"
"Nope. Why the secrecy?"
"I want to tell Lex before anyone else finds out." She moved over to the bed and sat. "I wish she'd call."
He took off his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth he kept in his pants pocket. "Knowing Lex, she's probably out playing with her horses."
"I wouldn't be surprised. But I still miss her. I can't wait to tell her, Grandpa. It's taking all I have not to rush out to the ranch right now."
"I know. But morning will be here before you know it. Rest well, sweetheart." He kissed the t
op of her head and left the room.
Amanda watched the door close and fell on the bed. "Dammit, Lex. Where are you?"
AFTER LEAVING A message on the machine, Roy hung up the phone. He turned to the men who sat at the table. "She's not answering." He made a point of looking at Cleve. "You were supposed to go up to the house and tell Lex about the missing horses. What did she say?"
"Nothing." Cleve rocked in his chair until the front two legs were off the ground. "That little SUV was gone, though." Knowing full-well that Amanda wasn't home when he was there, he decided to lie to Roy in order to cause Lex trouble. He was embarrassed at the way Lex talked to him, and figured she left to look for the horses after their conversation. "Maybe she went into town."
Roy took a seat at the table. "That's possible. I didn't want her to worry about the horses." He glared at Cleve. "They wouldn't have gotten as far as they did, if you would have latched the gate right. I'm glad we were able to round them up quickly."
Cleve shrugged. "Whatever." He allowed the chair to land flat against the floor. "I'm going out for a smoke."
"Check the water in the stables while you're out there," Roy yelled after him. After the door slammed, he shook his head. "I don't know what crawled up his ass and died, but I'd love to be the one that buries it." The other men in the room laughed. None of them liked the newcomer and many were looking for an excuse to knock the chip from his shoulder. Roy knew it was only a matter of time before someone did.
Chapter Sixteen
THE MORNING SUN hit her face and awoke Lex. She squinted and brought her hand up to shield her eyes. Now, in the light of day, she could see what kind of situation she had fallen into. Their muddy prison wasn't as large, or as deep, as Lex had previously thought.
Her movement startled Mine, who began to struggle. Due to the drying mud, the filly was finally able to kick her legs free. Her hooves fought for purchase on the slick surface as she rocked back and forth.
Lex cried out as the animal's weight pressed against her. She tried to calm Mine, but the horse began to flail wildly. "Whoa, girl." Her voice failed as the panicked creature's flank shoved her deeper into the mud.
The ten-minute struggle paid off as Mine was finally able to stand. Lex's right foot dropped limply from the stirrup as the horse stepped away. She gasped from the excruciating pain and wrapped her left arm across her body in an attempt to ward off the worst of the agony. Mine shook herself, scattering bits of mud everywhere. She stretched her neck out and sniffed at Lex.
Opening her eyes, Lex turned her head enough to see Mine standing above her. The horse didn't seem injured. "Maybe I should have named you Lucky instead." She looked down at her body, which was still partially buried in the muck. "Looks like you're on your own. I'm not getting out of here any time soon." Lex closed her eyes at the hopelessness of her situation. No one knew where she was and she realized that Amanda would be frantic by now.
AMANDA WALKED INTO the house, with Lorrie following behind. "Lex?" She checked the upstairs and was concerned when she noticed the bed was still made up as she had left it the day before. Lex always turned the pillows in the opposite direction than she did, so it was always easy to tell who had made the bed.
"Momma?" Lorrie looked under the bed. She wanted to look for Lex, too. "Where's Momma?"
"I don't know, sweetie." Amanda reached for Lorrie's hand and led her downstairs. They went into the office, where the light blinked on the answering machine. Amanda sat in the leather chair and listened to the messages. The first one was from her, so she deleted it. The second, from Roy, later the same day. "That's weird."
Lorrie climbed into her lap. Since her mother wasn't paying attention, she was able to reach out and pick up the pen that had been left behind. The large calendar that sat flat on the desk looked like the perfect place for her artwork. She began to scribble away until Amanda realized what she was doing and captured her hand.
"Lorrie, no." Amanda reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a notepad. "Here, use this."
Satisfied, Lorrie happily scrawled on the notepad.
Amanda picked up the phone and hit the speed dial for the bunk house. "Lester, this is Amanda. Is Lex up there?" At his negative answer, she took a shaky breath. "Can I talk to Roy?" She waited several minutes before the foreman picked up the line.
He sounded slightly out of breath. "Amanda? What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen Lex today? We got home, and it doesn't look like she's been here."
"No, I haven't. We thought she went into town with you. Give me a minute and I'll be right there."
"Okay." More concerned than ever, Amanda hit another button on the speed dial. "Hello, this is Amanda Walters. Is Charlie available?"
After a few moments, the sheriff's voice came on the line. "Good morning. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Trying to stay calm so as not to alarm the child on her lap, Amanda cleared her throat before speaking. "I hate to disturb you at work, Charlie. But have you heard from Lex, lately?"
"No, not since yesterday, around lunch time. Why?"
"She wasn't here when I got home this morning and the bed hadn't been slept in. I was hoping she had said something to you about where she was going."
There was silence on the other end of the line for a long minute. "I'm on my way out there and we'll get this all straightened out. Hang tight." He disconnected the call without another word.
Amanda hung up the phone. The more she found out, the less she actually knew. Even though her heart pounded in her chest, she knew she had to act as normal as possible. She looked down at the paper Lorrie was working on. "That's pretty, honey. What are you drawing?"
Lorrie looked up. "Cow," she said matter-of-factly, as if Amanda should have known. She resumed her art work.
"I see." Amanda stood, bringing Lorrie up with her. "Let's go into the kitchen, and I'll get your crayons. Would you like that?"
"Yep." Lorrie slithered out of her grasp and took off for the kitchen.
It wasn't long before Roy knocked on the back door and came into the house. He went into the kitchen and saw Amanda at the table with Lorrie. "Hi." He took off his hat and squatted next to the little girl, who gave him a friendly smile. "Hello, Lorrie."
"Hi." She pointed at the paper she had been working on. "See? Cow."
Roy gave the drawing the careful consideration it deserved. "And a fine cow it is, youngster." He glanced across the table. "No one's seen her, Amanda. I checked the barn, and one of the horses is missing, along with Lex's saddle."
Amanda felt her stomach drop. "Do you know how long?"
"No." He stood and brushed his hands down the legs of his jeans in a nervous manner. "When was the last time you heard from her?"
"Yesterday morning, before Lorrie and I left. I tried calling late yesterday afternoon, but she didn't pick up the phone."
"Damn." He belatedly remembered they weren't alone. "Sorry about that. I shouldn't talk like that around her."
A slight smile touched Amanda's face. "Don't worry, she's heard it before." She got to her feet and stepped around the little girl's chair and lowered her voice. "What are we going to do?"
"I'm going to get the guys together and go hunting for her. If you don't mind, could you stay here and coordinate things by radio? I'd get Lester to do it, but," he gestured toward Lorrie, "I know you'll have to stay here with her."
Hating to concede the fact, Amanda nodded. "Okay. But please keep in touch."
"You bet." He ruffled Lorrie's hair. "I'll see you later."
Lorrie never looked up. She was used to tuning out the adults when she was busy. "Bye."
Amanda was about to sit next to her daughter, when she got a sudden thought. "I'll try her cell." She grabbed the kitchen phone and dialed the number by memory.
THE MUTED STRAINS of "Bolero" woke Lex from the light doze she had fallen into. It took her a moment to realize where the sound was coming from. Since she had assumed th
at her phone was damaged in the fall, she thought she was dreaming. Using her teeth, she removed the stiffened glove from her left hand. She slipped her hand inside her coat and stretched as far as she could, choking back a cry as the pain radiated from her right shoulder and lanced down her side. Her fingertips grazed the top of the phone but glided off. The harder she tried, the more she shoved her right side into the ground, bringing new waves of agony. Between the stress, the pain and the heat from wearing the heavy coat, rivulets of sweat beaded up along Lex's brow and into her eyes. She paused in her attempts, spent from the effort.
Thunder began to roll across the skies again. Mine, who up to that time had been content to stand by Lex, jerked her head and skittered sideways. Her reins swung close enough to Lex for her to get her hand tangled in one. "Whoa. Easy there." She wrapped the leather strap around her wrist several times. Knowing it was only a matter of time before the horse bolted, Lex hoped that she'd be able to hold on long enough to be pulled from the drying mud.
A sharp blast of lightning struck nearby, causing Mine to jump. Lex felt the reins tighten and her last conscious thought was of how much the sudden movement was going to hurt. The jolt not only pulled her free, but brought renewed misery to her already screaming body. She slipped quickly into unconsciousness as she was dragged up out of the pit.
The light, drizzling rain on her face brought Lex back. She found herself flat on her back with her left arm hanging uncomfortably from the reins, several yards from the hole she had spent the night in. Her legs still felt useless. Frightened by the thought, Lex struggled to wriggle her feet. It took longer than she had hoped, but she was finally able to move her left foot from side to side. The slightest movement of her right leg was painfully impossible and Lex worried at the condition.
More rumbling from the sky caused the horse to begin walking. Lex winced but didn't want to lose her connection to her only transportation. "Hold up, there. Whoa." She tugged at the reins. "Dammit, horse. Stop!" Her serious tone brought Mine to a halt. "Good girl." Now her only concern was to find a way to remount and get home.